Cheerfully & Thankfully

“The Christian way of doing dishes is cheerfully,
thankfully, thoroughly, to get them clean. “
-Elisabeth Elliot

 

{Giveaway at the bottom of the post}

Hot, soapy water trickled down my arms, as I plunged my hands back into the soapy dish water.

Breakfast, the first meal and most messy meal for our large family of nearly a dozen, had just ended. The large, noisy crowd of blessed children, fed and ready for the brand new day, had skipped upstairs to brush their teeth and begin their chores. The dog whined at my feet, waiting for some scraps of scrambled eggs to be placed in his bowl, a welcoming breakfast for a hungry pet.

Looking down the counter at the traffic jam of dirty dishes, I was surprised to see how many bowls, cups, spoons (and forks?), plates and other random utensils there were to wash.

It’s a good thing I enjoy washing dishes, I thought to myself, smiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armed with a homemade dishcloth and a sink full of hot, clean soapy water and dove into my task at hand. A CD of my favorite Big Band music played softly in the background.

I hummed while sorting through the lopsided towers of unclean dishes, poorly attempting to create some sort of order to the cuisine madness. I have found it is easier to wash in order:

— cups first, always, then utensils, then the soiled plates and so forth …

It was not long before the piles and piles of unclean dishes turn out — rather quickly — on the opposite side of the counter, clean, sparkling and ready for the next meal.

 

As the last droplet of water ran off the sparkling copper cups, it brought a great sense of satisfaction to my homemaker’s soul.

Watching your well-used, untidy kitchen turn into a clean, sparkling warm and welcoming area is just a delight. Others may mock me, but it is one of my favorite chores, transforming a recently-vacated kitchen into a lovely clean atmosphere again. In our house, dishes never stay dirty between meals. In fact, there is an unwritten rule that as you use a dish, you wash it. If you are baking, you clean up as you go. It truly saves time and makes the clean up effort less painful for everyone involved.

Once the dishes were washed, rinsed, dried and put away into the cupboards (thanks to the help of my little daughter), I fed the sourdough starter, pulled out two loaves of bread for breakfast the next the morning and put the banana cake on the counter to cool. Getting our morning chores of food preparation finished and attended to in the morning also makes the afternoon flow smoothly.

 

This organization of timing also allows for a tea time in the afternoon while the baby naps and the children take a break from school studies. While homemaking has been a long journey and one that has taken me many years to finally enjoy the every day routine, I see it now as a blessing.
As I told my husband this morning, as he left for work, my days – although ‘normal’, are never, ever boring to me.  Perhaps it is all in your perspective …

 

 

“The good wife must be a good housekeeper.
I know well how unromantic this remark will appear
to those whose dreams of married life are woven of the fancies of youthful sentiment,
but these frail dreams of sentiment will not last long amid the stern realities of life,
and then what which will prove one of the rarest elements of happiness and blessing in the household will be housewifely industry and diligence.”
– Homemaking, J.R. Miller

 

 

Post Script:

The girls and I have been enjoying a winter of crocheting. Many of you may have seen Lacey’s doilies which she made over the winter. If you would like to enter to receive a homemade dishcloth- {pictured above} made by Lyla with love – then, please leave a little comment on this blog and we will pick a winner shortly.  God bless each of you on your homemaking journey!